The Way Home (3 page)

“Willow and I started dating when we were fourteen. We were sixteen when she found out she was pregnant. Seventeen when we got married. I loved her so much, and then our son was born and I didn't know I could love that much. We both managed to graduate high school. I got a job with a company that took tourists out for dives. It was good money. Willow stayed home with Junior. We were still pretty fucking poor, but it worked. It really worked, until James got himself in some trouble. Guys were looking for him. They found us instead.”

Houdini sat back and stopped speaking as the waitress approached with their food. She set it down on the table and walked away. He took another sip of water, looked at Susan. “You okay?”

“I'm okay. And I'm sorry, Houdini. So sorry.”

“Don't pity me.” Houdini leaned forward, lowered his voice. “I don't want that. That's not why I'm telling you, I'm telling you because you matter, and I need you to know.” She nodded and he pressed on. “It was about a week before school was about to start. Junior was going into second grade, he loved school. Loved it. We were out getting some things for him and were going to head to dinner. One of they guys after James saw us in the store, thought I was James. There were four more waiting in the parking lot.”

Houdini spared her the gory details, the seemingly neverending stream of shots and screams. He'd been hit in the arm, somehow managing to drag his dying family along with him to the cover of a car. As soon as it had started, it was over. Willow bled out before the ambulance got there. Junior died two days later, when they'd turned off his life support because there was no brain activity.

“Frak,” Susan ran her hand over his.

“I buried them both four days later,” Houdini drew in a deep breath. He couldn't shield her from the next part, no matter how badly he wanted to. “I found my brother and made him tell me who was after him.” He pulled his hand back from hers. “I found them,” he couldn't look at Susan, didn't want to see judgment in her eyes. “I found them and I killed them, all of them.”

“Good,” she said without even a pause.

             
“That's all you have to say?” Houdini finally looked at her. Her eyes were the same as they had been, slightly sad but there was no disgust to be seen.

“I think that's all you want to tell right now. I meant what I said, I won't put any pressure on you. When you want to tell me more, I'll be here. I appreciate this couldn't be easy to tell me.”

“No, it wasn't.” Relieved that they seemed to have gotten through it without incident, he reached out and took her hand again. She squeezed his fingers hard with her own

“Thank you for telling me. You want to get out of here?”

“This pizza isn't going to eat itself,” he pointed out. Honestly, he wasn't ready to head back to Rose's house yet. Sitting around waiting held no appeal for him. He'd rather pass the time eating excellent pizza with the woman that he loved, even if he wasn't ready to tell her that just yet.

Chapter Three.

             
Susan was ready to climb the walls of the house. She'd thought that things had gotten as tense as they could; she was wrong. Deacon and Vera had both been furious that she and Houdini hadn't tried to stop Adelaide from going to the pack.

             
They'd been blindsided by the argument the moment that they got back from the Walmart and lunch trip the day before. Doors had been slammed, walls punched and things spoken that couldn't be taken back. There was no doubt in her mind that things might have even come to blows if not for the presence of Shepard and Lina.

“Whatever spat the four of you are having, we need to focus. The Council agreed to us all coming here because it seemed a logical place to find more information about The Hunters. We've been here for three days without any sign of the pack, The Grievers or Michael. Time is not something we have the luxury of wasting.” Shepard spoke bluntly, as was his way.

“Without any new information, we won't be here more than another twenty-four hours.” Lina spoke up, though she didn't quite sound like herself. Gone was the tone of authority; she hadn't said anything about her loss, but they all felt it. It was still hard for him to believe that Josiah had been her brother, they'd never really given any hint of it. Still, she had to be hurting even if she was hiding it very well. Houdini also realized that she was about as pissed as Deacon and Vera over Adelaide being gone.

“Me and Vera will head out to the woods, see if we can track scents.” Deacon offered.

“Good idea.” Shepard nodded his head. “I think I'll join you.”

“As will I,” Lina rose to her feet. “The four of us should be able to cover a lot of ground.”

Susan had been just about to stand up, get ready to go with them, when she realized that the four Lina mentioned didn't include her. She was used to Houdini not being invited along when the situation required heightened senses, but for her to be excluded spoke volumes.

“Alright then, let's not waste any more daylight.” Vera rose to her feet, stretched her arms over her head. Without so much a glance over at Susan or Houdini, she started for the door.

Susan shifted uncomfortably. She'd never done awkward situations well. Maybe it was time to consider finding somewhere else to stay, give them all a little space and see what came of it. Disappointment took root in her stomach. She'd believed that she'd finally found people who wouldn't turn their back on her when it really mattered, and yet here they were.

Shepard was the only one who lingered behind. He regarded them with an unreadable expression; Susan met his gaze head on. “Letting her go was a kindness, though they cannot see it.” He cleared his throat and turned his back; he'd said his piece, and he was leaving.

“It was the right thing,” Susan was sure of it now. She'd had moments of doubt, but after hearing Houdini's story of revenge and with time to think, she knew that Adelaide would never forgive them if she didn't get a chance to try. “And if they can't see that, well maybe we're not all family.”

“Families fight, Susan. And we are family. Speaking of family, since we're in the area, do you want to go see yours?”

“They're not in the area anymore. My father retired a few years back and they live in Arizona now. And even if they were, we're not all that close anymore,” Susan admitted. Maybe they never had been close. As a child she'd felt adored, but it wasn't adoration, it was grooming. From the time that she was old enough to realize it, she was pushed towards medical school. She'd become a doctor, like her father, and take over his practice when he was ready to retire.

It had been a plan that she was okay with. In fact, she spent a good deal of time planning that life, especially after she and Rick got serious. They'd get married, have a nice house and maybe a couple of kids and a dog. She'd spend her days in the office and her weekends cooking delicious meals for her loving family. Of course, that had all gone to hell.

“What about you? Got anywhere that you want to go? Anyone you want to see?”

“I was thinking about going to the warehouse,” he admitted. “It withstood the fire pretty well. I thought maybe there'd be something left. Something of mine or Viking stuff.”

“Let's go,” Susan told him. “We can take the truck—they left on foot. Or we can walk.”

“You okay?”

“I'm fine, maybe a little bit of a headache, but I'm fine. Let's go.”

“I think we should run there. Screw the truck. Besides, I need a good run. We can loop around town, stop at the warehouse on the way back.”

“Deal,” Susan reached her hand up and brushed his hair back from his face. “You're getting a little shaggy.”

“Maybe I'll grow dreads again,” he grinned at her.

“You had dreads? Do you have pictures?”

“I might, if the album I had in my room is still there. Guess we're going to find out soon enough.” He looked so sad when he spoke that it actually hurt Susan's heart. He'd already had so much loss, to lose whatever he had left was tragic. “Don't look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Susan hadn't thought she was looking in any strange kind of way.

“Pity. Don't pity me.” He pushed up off of the couch. “We running or what?”

“We're running.”

<#<#<#<#

The loop around town was roughly six miles. By the time that they were done, Susan was in desperate need of a shower, some water and a place to sit. Houdini always had impressing endurance, but today he was like a machine, not stopping even when she knew he was pushing himself as hard as he could. They'd slowed down to a walk as they approached the warehouse, disregarded the crime scene tape and walked inside.

The fire hadn't been as destructive as it could have been; the majority of the building was still standing. Susan hadn't spent any real time there. She could recall one party she'd gone to and the fact she'd left after getting her ass smacked for the third time. Houdini stood, very still and very quiet. She knew that he was seeing the building in a very different way. “My room was over in the back.”
             

Susan took his hand, squeezed his fingers. She hoped he realized that she wasn't silent because she didn't care; she was silent because she didn't know what to say to give him comfort. All she could do was walk along with him.

She didn't really have much experience with fire and the damage that it caused but was struck by how much of the warehouse was still standing, most of the stores in town had been flattened. Rose hadn't been able to salvage so much as a plate from the restaurant. Yet it seemed that, if Deacon wanted, this place could be rebuilt, probably without a lot of effort. It didn't seem the time to bring it up as they entered a back hallway.

There was evidence of fire, definite water damage and all the doors had been opened either by the arsonist or the fire department. Susan followed Houdini into the last room on the left. It was relatively untouched by the fire damage but there were signs of water damage. There was also evidence that the room had been used relatively recently; a few take-out containers and several magazines were strewn on the bed.

“Someone was crashing here,” Houdini released her hand, moved over near the dresser and crouched down. He pried up one of the floorboards with his knife, pulled out a large, clear plastic envelope filled with papers. “They didn't find my stash.” He took a gun and another knife out of the opening and replaced the board. “That's something.”

“It's good,” Susan looked around the room, spotted a piece of paper poking out from under the bed. “There's something there.” She knelt down next to the bed and pulled out a book.

“That's my sketchpad,” his voice was low and right next to her. Susan hadn't even noticed him move.

“You draw?”

“Sometimes.” He shrugged his shoulders and took the book from her. He sat down heavily on the floor, sighed. “Never thought I'd see this again, any of this.”

“The warehouse is in better shape than I expected.” Susan settled down on the floor next to him, glad to be off her aching feet.

“Yeah, wouldn't take much to rebuild it. Don't say it, I know that we can't stay here. It's pack land. It's just... oh, fuck it. Forget it. We should just...”

Susan couldn't let him keep talking so silenced him the only way she could be sure would work. Her mouth covered his, tongue demanding entrance, and he accepted. She shifted so that she was straddling his lap. It was by far the most intimate position they'd ever been in, and her body responded accordingly.

His hands gripped her hips, fingers digging into her skin. He broke the kiss, his eyes meeting hers. Susan saw the question there, rocked her hips in response and then they were on each other again. It seemed like his hands were touching her everywhere, their clothes were just a source of frustration as she began to move her hips against him to create friction that sent fire rolling through her. “Houdini!” She gasped his name as he cupped her breasts through her tank top.

“If you say stop, I might cry. I'll stop though, promise.”

“If you stop, I will kill you.” Susan reached down and grabbed the hem of the tank top, she stripped it off, revealing the sports bra she wore underneath. For a fleeting second she wished that she'd worn a nicer one, but Houdini didn't seem to mind the view. His gaze was hot, greedy, and the thought of him being this turned on for her was a rush very much like a high. She gave into it, letting her head fall back as he began to feast on her neck and shoulders. His rough, calloused fingertips teased her nipples into stiff peaks; pleasure spiked and spiraled.

She had never wanted anyone more than she wanted him right then, right there on the floor of his old room. Want wasn't really a strong enough word. Susan realized that she needed him, that she had needed him for more than just this for longer than she cared to admit. Despite a very solemn promise to herself, somehow she'd managed to start falling in love with him.

The knowledge caused her to go still, her heart racing as hard as it ever had. The desire to tell him what she felt was unexpected and completely not like her. She wasn't a blurt-out-her-emotions kind of woman. She also wasn't the cuddling type of woman, and yet she did that with him every night.

Houdini was different from any man that she'd ever known, even the man that she had been completely and totally in love with. Houdini got her in a way that Rick never could. He'd never blinked an eye that she changed. He wanted to see her change, and her refusal disappointed him, but he didn't push. Sure, they argued and he'd raise his voice. She'd raise hers right back; she was never scared of him. Susan knew that he wouldn't lay a hand on her to harm her.

“We can't do this.”

“Wait. What? Seriously? You want to stop?” Susan felt her body stiffen. She nearly tripped in her haste to get up and off of him. Christ, what had she done?

“No,” Houdini was on his feet as well, grabbing her arms and yanking her to him. “We're not stopping, just relocating. We're not doing this on the floor.”

“I thought...” Suddenly Susan felt foolish and just a little embarrassed at her reaction.

“I know,” he leaned in, kissed her lightly. “Not many options for not-gross surfaces in here.”

Susan couldn't help but laugh. She looked around the room, he was right. The surfaces were all covered in dust or worse. “There's probably maggots in that take-out container, but if we take off the top blanket, we should be okay. And I can't believe I just said that.”

“I love that you just said that.” His face became serious. Susan knew what he was going to say before he spoke, but that didn't stop the tremor that ran through her body when he cupped her face. “I love you, Susan.” He pressed his finger against her lip. “You don't have to say anything, but you need to know.”

“I already knew,” Susan heard her voice crack. She gripped his shirt in her hands. “I'm not good at this, at having relationships and being with someone. I've got issues. My issues have issues.”

“And I already knew that.” His smile was easy. “We'll figure it out. And I just figured out a solution to our problem.” He scooped her up with little effort. Susan really liked that he did that, that he could do that. It made her feel safe and sexy at the same time. She began to laugh again as he crossed the room to the dresser, clearing the top with one arm as she held onto him with a vice like grip.

She unlocked her legs from around his waist when he set her down. She boosted herself up on her hands so that he could pull her tights and panties off. Susan was now almost fully naked, except for her sports bra, while he was fully clothed. It just didn't seem fair. “You have on too many clothes.”

“No, you do. Hands up.” He reached beneath the hem of the sports bra and pulled it up and over her raised arms. “You are seriously beautiful.”

             
The compliment made her slightly uncomfortable; she didn't know why, but it did. She reached out and ran her hands over his shoulders. “You're not so bad yourself but still wearing way too many clothes.”             

“Fair enough,” he stepped back, stripped off his shirt while kicking off his sneakers. It was a thrill to see his body; it was always a thrill. The time he spent working out didn't seem like enough to maintain the perfection right in front of her eyes.